


What Time Did to the Child

by Remsyk



Series: Penny Dreadfuls [7]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Continuation, Gift Fic, Gundam Wing Secret Santa, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Worried Wufei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 07:21:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13095201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remsyk/pseuds/Remsyk
Summary: Written for the lovely Maevemauvaise for the Secret Santa exchange, who has become a wonderful friend and cheerleader <3It's been years since his last incident, years since he'd lost control, but today may be the day the levy breaks. Wufei won't let him ride it out alone.





	What Time Did to the Child

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maevemauvaise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maevemauvaise/gifts).



> Surprise!!! Written for the lovely Maevemauvaise, who has become a wonderful friend and cheerleader <3
> 
> And shout out to Kangofu_CB for being an awesome beta <3

Duo paused mid sentence, his fingers poised over his keyboard, eyes staring blankly at the screen. He knew this feeling, intimately.

It was too soon. This shouldn’t be happening now.

He glanced at the daily calendar on his desk, his eyes sliding over the joke printed next to the date, a gift from the rookies who had passed his recent stealth class. The date meshed with the one in his head, so why now?

It was too early.

The ripple surged through him again, demanding every ounce of his attention before subsiding, leaving him tense and breathless. He glanced around his office, thankfully empty save for himself. Wufei was out for a meeting, and would be for the rest of the day.

Which meant no one would notice his early escape until he was long gone.

Duo quickly saved his report and shut down his computer, packing his backpack with the files he’d need for the next few days. He wouldn’t need them, probably, but it never hurt to be prepared.

He grabbed his coat and helmet, shoving his arms through the sleeves as he slung the bag on his back, determined to leave before the next wave hit.

It had been ages since his last early spell, but the consequences had left nasty scars, both inside and out. He did not intend on a repeat performance, not if he could help it.

Just as he reached for the door, it swung open, revealing a startled Wufei. Duo stared, his mind racing as his partner’s eyes bounced from one damning sign to the next.

“Going somewhere?” he asked casually, his gaze sharp.

“I’m checking out early,” Duo said with a sheepish grin. “Feeling under the weather.”

Wufei narrowed his eyes as he studied Duo closely, who struggled to remain still under his gaze. “You should see Sally before you go. You do look a bit pale.”

Duo’s stomach did a strange sumersault, but he quickly dismissed it as a side effect of his current condition. Wufei being worried for his well being was standard procedure, by the books, nothing to write home about.

“Nah, I’m sure it’s just one of those twenty four hour bugs. Nothing I need to bother her about.”

Duo slapped on his biggest smile, inching around Wufei to freedom. He didn’t like how Wufei’s eyes narrowed again as his frown deepened, but he remained silent. Duo let out an internal sigh of relief as he scurried down the hall. He could feel Wufei’s gaze boring into his back, causing his skin to itch between his shoulder blades.

Thankfully, someone was exiting the elevator just as he reached them. He quickly claimed the open car, punching the button, then tossing a jaunty wave as the doors slowly closed. Wufei remained rooted in place, his eyes never wavering as he watched until the door shut.

Duo kept his smile in place until the car began to move. He let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the rail, resting his head against the cool metal. He could feel another wave rising, pushing against the barriers he had in place, testing their limits.

The levy was holding, for now.

The elevator dinged for his floor, and he prayed he wasn’t stopped by anyone else.

One surprise was enough.

Thankfully, his trip through the lobby was uneventful. He made his way to the parking garage when a thought stopped him in his tracks.

It would be suicide to ride his bike in his current condition. If an attack happened, if he lost his concentration for just a second…

“Need a lift?”

Duo nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning quickly to where Wufei stood. Just as he opened his mouth to answer, a wave of dizziness crashed against his mind. He bit his lip as he squeezed his eyes shut, sinking slowly to his knees.

He couldn’t do this now, now with someone there, and certainly not Wufei.

“Duo?”

He shook his head, grasping it with both hands as it fought and clawed, hunting for purchase, a crack in his defenses, the tiniest hint of hesitation…

“Duo, what’s wrong?”

He dug his fingers in his hair, gritting his teeth as he fought the force, beating it down with each breath.

Finally, an eternity later, the feeling receded, leaving him exhausted and even more determined to leave. He focused on calming his racing heart, inhaling and exhaling in an exercise that had long ago become instinct.

“Are you alright?”

Fuck.

He’d forgotten about Wufei.

“I’m fine,” Duo growled, knowing his answer would immediately put Wufei on edge, even without bearing witness to his recent attack.

“Bullshit. I’m taking you to Sally.”

A scuffed step was his only warning before a hand grasped his upper arm, pulling him up. Duo struggled weakly against the firm hold, scowling fiercely when Wufei wrapped an arm around his waist, just under his backpack. He threw his weight back when Wufei turned to the building, nearly pulling out of his grasp. Only Wufei’s quick reflexes kept him upright.

“What are you doing?” Wufei snapped. “You need medical attention.”

Duo inhaled, biting back his initial retort, knowing it would only set the stubborn man in his crusade. “I need you to take me home,” he said evenly, meeting Wufei’s eyes.

“What good will that do?” Wufei asked shortly, frustration lining his words with bold strokes. “Sally is here now.”

“I don’t need a doctor,” Duo explained calmly, tamping down on his own frustration. His skin tingled where Wufei maintained contact, another distraction, another crack in the wall, another delicious weakness…

“I need my medicine,” he blurted out, instantly regretting his words. Wufei’s expression shifted into confusion, his grip slacking slightly in his surprise.

“What medicine? Are you on something? Did you miss a dose?”

Duo bit the inside of his cheek, his frustrations and mounting urgency fraying his nerves. “Just, take me home,” he bit out, stepping away from him.

Wufei studied him as he lowered his hands, a warmth Duo immediately missed, then nodded. He stepped around him, moving further into the parking garage as he dug his keys out of his pocket. Duo heaved a silent sigh of relief and followed, bracing himself for a long ride.

Wufei refrained from asking any questions along the way, leaving Duo to agonize over what questions he might ask and how best to answer them. After easily thinking himself into a corner, he abandoned the jumbled mess to focus on more pressing issues.

He had this under control, had been in control, for years. He knew his limits, knew when he needed to rest, both physically and mentally, and kept a very short rein on his temper.

He was in control.

So why now?

What had set him off? The last time it had happened had been years ago, long enough for any normal memory to be fuzzy at best, but he remembered it with stark clarity. The memory of embers flickered through his mind, still so vivid he could almost smell the smoke.

It was a blessing and a curse to remember such detail as everything moved beyond his control, not unlike being trapped inside a mobile suit he couldn’t pilot.

He didn’t want a repeat performance.

Wufei pulled up to his apartment complex, parking in Duo’s designated guest spot.

“What are you doing?” Duo frowned at him, one hand on the door.

“Making sure you’re okay,” Wufei said flatly, a challenge in his words.

One Duo happily accepted.

“Look, I already told you: I’m fine,” Duo pushed his door open and got out, snatching his bag and helmet from the floorboard. “Thanks for the lift.”

He slammed the door and walked away, mentally counting down to Wufei’s inevitable stubborn streak. Duo was just passing three when the car door slammed, followed by his distinct marching gait.

“You’re in no shape to be unsupervised right now,” he said, remaining a step behind Duo. Perhaps he knew he would be ignored regardless.

“Go home, Wufei, or better yet, back to work.”

The steady gait continued, but the atmosphere shifted, weighing heavily with hesitance. Duo resisted the urge to pop his ears to equalize the pressure.

Duo suppressed yet another sigh, resigning his argument to keep Wufei as far away as possible, and instead shifted his focus to how to mitigate the damage from tonight, assuming it lasted one night. He wanted to groan, bury his face in his hands and scream.

Everything that could go wrong, was going wrong. All he needed was another flair up before he reached his apartment, or worse, a reason to lose his temper.

So he ignored the source of his headache, making the trek to his tiny sanctuary on autopilot, when the tiniest voice brushed against his ear.

He blinked, not surprised that the next stage had already reared its head. The whispers were becoming noticeable, a sure sign of his weakening levies. He could almost make out what they were saying, one syllable here and there standing out against the white noise. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t understand them; he knew them all by heart.

He needed Wufei to leave.

Duo unlocked his apartment, but stopped short of opening the door. He addressed his companion without turning.

“You should go.”

“Not until I make sure you’re okay.”

On any other day, Duo would be overjoyed, melting into a pile of goo while savoring every moment with the intense man.

Today is just pissed him off.

“I don’t want you here,” Duo snapped, his words slicing his throat, stabbing viciously at his chest.

A beat of silence, another, and another, each laying on the one before, pressing against his open wounds.

“What are you hiding?” Wufei breathed.

The simple question slammed into the levy with the force of a sledgehammer, causing Duo to gasp in its intensity.

“Duo, please, let me help you.”

He squeezed his eyes shut as he hunched in on himself, every word pounding against the weakened crater, widening the cracks.

“It’s not safe,” Duo whispered, pleading that he’d understand, that he would read between the lines to the impossible conclusion.

“Duo, let’s go inside.”

Right, inside, where it was safe, where he could lock himself away, ride out the storm as the tidal waves washed away his barriers.

Wufei reached around him, nudging his hand under Duo’s to grab the knob, then crowded them both inside. He manipulated Duo out of the way as he closed the door, locking it behind him.

The sharp click echoed in the hall, snapping Duo’s attention to the present as he felt it shift deep inside, awake and aware of his surroundings.

“Where’s your medication?” Wufei asked, toeing off his shoes. He hung his coat in the tiny hall closet, buying time for Duo to speak, debate, wage war with himself.

He could feel himself flicker.

There was no other word for it. Sister Helen had told him about it once, an observer on the outside, one of the rare few to have seen it.

Duo clenched his fists, focusing on the feeling of nails digging into his palms as a means to ground him in the now. “I don’t have any.”

Wufei pinned him with wide eyes, taking in his tense form and pale complexion, of clenched fists and pursed lips.

“You’re out?” He asked incredulously. “I knew we should have gone to Sally.”

“I never had any,” Duo interrupted, struggling to form the words, pushing against the rising tide. “I lied.”

Wufei stepped towards him, freezing when Duo recoiled. “What are you hiding? Why can't you trust me?”

Duo inhaled sharply, feeling his fingertips tingle, knowing the flickering was getting worse, wearing on the edges of his being. “I don’t trust myself.”

“Let me help you,” Wufei stepped forward again, one hand stretched before him, his palm up and open.

Duo almost sobbed, a lifeline so close, and yet the one that connected him to the person he cherished above all others.

His greatest strength and weakness.

The tide rose higher, pushing against his barriers, brushing tentatively along the cracks in the wall. It pushed, once, testing, pulling away quickly as it waited. When nothing happened, trepidation turned to glee.

It wouldn’t be long now.

Duo reached out, uncurling his fingers, watching them flicker and shift as he bridged the gap between them. He knew Wufei could see it too, but he never wavered, never flinched when they finally touched. Instead, he gripped Duo’s hand tightly, as though his only job was to hold him together.

Maybe it was.

Duo returned the grip, squeezing firmly as he pulled Wufei down the hall, leading him through the living room to the second hall. He passed his bedroom, focusing on his destination as the whispers mounted in his head, clashing and melding in constant swells.

*

Wufei remained silent, following him into the last room, behind the door that was always closed for as long as he could remember.

Now, he was left to the side of the dark room, standing between Duo and the door.

“No matter what happens,” Duo said, standing in the center of the room, “don’t let me leave.”

Wufei blinked, squinting at Duo’s figure, certain his mind was playing tricks on him. He could, at times, see something like a shadow standing behind him, sometimes superimposing over him, like two negatives laid over the other, their subjects just slightly misaligned. Other moments, Duo disappeared completely, causing Wufei’s chest to squeeze air from his lungs as his stomach dropped out.

“Okay,” he finally croaked, standing resolutely at his post. He didn’t understand, but it was clear from the deterioration of Duo’s state that action was needed first. Questions came second.

Wufei still toyed with the idea of getting actual medical professionals involved, his mind distracted by the heavy weight of his phone in his pocket. Sally was on speed dial; it would only take a second to call her. Even if Duo intervened, one missed call from his would be enough to send her into action.

“She can’t help me,” Duo said, his voice echoing strangely in the windowless room. “There’s no cure for this.”

“Duo-”

“Just, you being here is enough. Too much, even,” Duo interrupted, grimacing as he trembled, closing his eyes against it.

*

The whispers were loud, voices recognizable, drowning out everything else. He could barely hear Wufei speak over the cacophony.

He couldn’t fight it any longer.

“Don’t let me hurt you.”

Duo didn’t wait for an answer.

With a sigh, he let down his barriers, letting his _other_ self rise to the surface, drowning out himself, the roaring triumph filling his ears as he sank below the surface.

Within the darkness of his own mind, the voices fell silent.


End file.
